Common English Bible CEB
New Revised Standard NRS
1 [Woman]If only you were as my brother— the one who nursed at my mother's breast. I would find you in the street and kiss you, and no one would shame me for it.
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O that you were like a brother to me, who nursed at my mother's breast! If I met you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would despise me.
2 I would lead you, I would bring you to my mother's house; she would teach me what to do. I would give you spiced wine to drink, some of my fresh pomegranate juice.
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I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother, and into the chamber of the one who bore me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the juice of my pomegranates.
3 His left arm is beneath my head, and his right embraces me!
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O that his left hand were under my head, and that his right hand embraced me!
4 Make a solemn pledge, daughters of Jerusalem, never to rouse, never to arouse love until it desires.
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I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, do not stir up or awaken love until it is ready!
5 [Daughters of Jerusalem]Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning against her lover? [Woman]Under the apple tree I aroused you— there, where your mother labored with you, there where, laboring, she bore you.
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Who is that coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I awakened you. There your mother was in labor with you; there she who bore you was in labor.
6 Set me as a seal over your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is as strong as death, passionate love unrelenting as the grave. Its darts are darts of fire— divine flame!
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Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame.
7 Rushing waters can't quench love; rivers can't wash it away. If someone gave all his estate in exchange for love, he would be laughed to utter shame.
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Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love all the wealth of one's house, it would be utterly scorned.
8 [The Woman's Brothers]Our sister is small; she has no breasts. What will we do for our sister on the day that she is spoken for?
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We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister, on the day when she is spoken for?
9 If she is a city wall, then we will build a turret of silver on her. And if she is a door, then we will barricade her with a panel of cedar.
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If she is a wall, we will build upon her a battlement of silver; but if she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.
10 [Woman]I'm a city wall, and my breasts are the towers. So now I'm in his eyes as one who brings peace.
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I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers; then I was in his eyes as one who brings peace.
11 [Man]Solomon had a vineyard in Baal-hamon. He gave charge of the vineyard to keepers; one would bring in exchange for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver.
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Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he entrusted the vineyard to keepers; each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver.
12 My vineyard, my very own, is before me. You can have the thousand, Solomon— with two hundred for those who tend the fruit!
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My vineyard, my very own, is for myself; you, O Solomon, may have the thousand, and the keepers of the fruit two hundred!
13 You who sit in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice. Let me hear it!
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O you who dwell in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice; let me hear it.
14 [Woman]"Take flight, my love, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spice!"
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Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag upon the mountains of spices!
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.